EIOPA flags liquidity challenges as pension funds expand private market exposure
Pension funds’ rising allocations to private markets strengthen diversification but heighten liquidity management pressures, new EIOPA data shows
Investors under-resourced for climate policy engagement, research finds
Report calls for ‘a much-needed burst of experimentation’ to improve real-economy influence
Think tank calls for sovereign wealth funds to jump-start pension funding
Bruegel advocates debt-funded sovereign wealth funds to accelerate pension funding and strengthen capital markets
UK regulator to launch testing scheme for new climate scenario tools
TREX, a firm that has worked with major pension fund USS, has already been welcomed to the regulatory sandbox
Alecta invests $110m in responsAbility climate fund
Swedish occupational pension fund expands climate finance portfolio with third responsAbility mandate
People moves: Zurich pension fund picks CIO
Plus: LGPS Central names chief of staff; Chikara Investments appoints former Schroders CEO
German reforms could see €400bn private pension boost
Opportunities for investment managers as Berlin looks set to adopt Swedish first-pillar retirement accounts model
Dutch pharmacy pension fund boosts hedge ratio to 80% through asset sales
PMA reduces equity exposure and increases interest rate protection before moving to defined contribution
EU Council plans to allow ‘transition’ funds to finance new fossil fuels
The European Council’s official negotiating position for the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation was signed off by ambassadors today
ShareAction challenges GFANZ over climate adaptation finance
Campaign group says alliance’s Paris Agreement alignment retreat could undermine climate goals despite focus on scaling adaptation finance
Consultation opens on flexible contribution model for Finland’s self-employed
Proposed reform would give self-employed workers greater flexibility in determining pension contribution levels
TPR backs innovative DB endgame options as scheme surpluses grow
Improving UK defined benefit funding positions prompts regulator to support broader endgame strategies beyond traditional buyouts
Italian schemes diversify US equity allocations as market uncertainty persists
Managing concentration risk and capturing opportunities are reshaping Italian pension funds’ US equity strategies
Finance Transition Centre urges investors to disclose climate policy dependencies
Steve Waygood calls on pension funds to treat climate policy as fiduciary issue
Swiss pension funds access repo transactions amid liquidity concerns
Regulatory change opens repo market to Swiss pension funds facing liquidity demands
FRR picks managers for €500m in PE fund-of-fund mandates
French reserve fund announces winners of 2025 tender
Sweden approves mechanism to distribute income pension surpluses
The legislation, to enter into force on 1 August 2026, allows excess income pension surpluses to be distributed from 2027
LGPS leaders urge UK government to ‘leave us alone’ after decade of reform
Local government pension scheme leaders say UK government should trust scheme’s existing governance and fiduciary framework
IORP II rapporteur defends VC allocation proposal amid pushback
MEP Damian Boeselager’s proposal for a mandatory 2% VC allocation for large schemes has met with strong criticism from specialists in occupational pensions
People moves: UK’s pensions regulator adds to board
Plus: Nomura appoints UK head of institutional; Invest Europe reshuffles board of directors
IPE Top 500 Asset Managers 2026: European institutional managers outpace global AUM growth
AUM growth is accelerating for European institutional managers and the top 10 ranking has seen significant shifts
Providers position for €56bn opportunity in Germany’s private pensions overhaul
Reform establishing retirement savings accounts could generate €26-56bn of additional annual net inflows, according to S&P Global Ratings
Asset managers urged to rethink business models as structural shifts reshape markets
Research by Thinking Ahead Institute and CAIA Association finds many asset managers recognise structural shifts but lack integrated responses to them
AkademikerPension ESG head slams new SBTi standard
Rikke Berg Jacobsen is concerned about SBTi’s approach to using certificates and credits in lieu of direct decarbonisation for some types of emissions
Lothian fund retains stake in Thai oil major following review
Scottish LGPS fund said enhanced engagement remains appropriate where fossil-fuel companies demonstrate credible transition progress
NEST member assembly delivers recommendations on best interests investing
Recommendations from a deliberative assembly of members will inform NEST’s investment strategy review and decisions about future member involvement
PensionsEurope calls for single set of ESG data points for all EU legislation
Responding to EIOPA’s discussion paper on integrated data collection, PensionsEurope says the association’s suggestions are ‘unsuited to occupational pensions’
Pension Fund Achmea places SpaceX on exclusion list
New ESG assessment prompts Pension Fund Achmea to exclude SpaceX while pursuing engagement
PPF, USS picked to join UK government’s senior-level financial markets forum
The Market Engagement Group is due to meet twice a year, with a maximum of 10 members at each meeting
MRH Trowe creates pensions holding company after Lurse, Heubeck acquisitions
German consultancy consolidates pensions, benefits and actuarial businesses as competition intensifies in advisory market
Iceland’s Gildi and Festa strike up merger talks
Boards say the two pension funds are clearly similar in nature and structure, including very similar rights system and articles of association
AP2 warns of stalling progress on gender-balanced boards in Sweden
Buffer fund CEO says growing gender balance on executive boards shows competence exists, but not yet fully reflected in boardrooms
German advisory board reset signals softer stance on sustainable finance ambition
Board revamped with smaller membership and industry-heavy focus amid push to simplify sustainable finance rules and boost transition finance
Pressure builds for compulsory German company pensions as DGB signals support
German trade unions back mandatory occupational pensions, intensifying debate over design, costs and employer burden
Headline fees mask deeper discounting in private markets, says bfinance
LPs report deeper private market fee discounting as fundraising pressure and liquidity constraints reshape pricing
Ethos formally excludes fossil fuel companies after failure to effect change
Swiss pension fund-backed organisation says the past few years have shown oil and gas majors are not open to dialogue or change
Net-zero investing thwarted by fuzzy thinking on risk and responsibility
Research paper claims it is essential to create clearer delineations between the risks and roles of different types of financial institutions
Dutch pension fund picks Van Lanschot Kempen for €1.25bn fiduciary mandate
Plus: Border to Coast picks AllianceBernstein for equity alpha fund
UK investment pool establishes new leadership team
Northern Local Government Pension Scheme has appointed John Dewey as its chief investment officer
People moves: Isio appoints new chief
UK-based advisory firm Isio has appointed Dan Thomas as its new CEO
UK consults on DB surplus release rules as industry sees boost for run-on strategies
Draft regulations would allow surplus extraction above low-dependency funding threshold, reshaping defined benefit endgame strategies
COVIP chair urges deeper capital markets to unlock pension investment in Italy
‘The issue is not about mandating domestic investments; the issue is making Italy more attractive for long-term pension capital,’ says COVIP’s Mario Pepe
Asset owners tell EU to hold its nerve on carbon price
Allianz, AkademikerPension and Sampension among those to sign a statement ahead of today’s negotiations on the EU ETS
New Danish government vows task force for institutional investment in startups
Pensions lobby bemoans no axing of special tax on insurance and pension sector in Frederiksen-led government programme
Asset owners underuse mandates to drive engagement, says new guidance
IIGCC report encourages asset owners to weigh climate stewardship as a determining factor for manager selection
Italy’s Covip shifts pension fund levy to assets under management
COVIP, the Italian supervisor for the pension fund industry, is introducing a new contribution structure to fund its supervisory activities
Janus Henderson bolsters European private credit with Rantum acquisition
Rantum’s expertise in private equity could support future product development as part of Janus Henderson’s wider private markets strategy
Investors create definitions and assessment framework for shareholder engagement
VOICE project intended to help asset owners convey expectations of asset managers for ‘good’ stewardship
Bayer shuns active FX risk with extensive pension asset hedging
German pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Bayer hedges most pension currency exposure to avoid uncompensated risk
Pension groups call for stronger member representation in UK regulator’s strategy
Industry respondents back TPR’s direction but seek stronger safeguards around governance, consolidation and fiduciary duty
